1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates to a carbon nanotube/polymer composite, and particularly to a carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite.
2. Description of Related Art
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a high Young's modulus, high thermal conductivity, and high electrical conductivity, among other properties, making them an ideal composite material supplement. It has thus been suggested that CNT composite materials can play an important role in fields such as microelectronics, material science, biology, and chemistry, etc.
The conventional carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite includes a plurality of CNTs with conductive polymer pellets distributed in the gaps among the CNTs. The carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite is applicable in the field of super capacitors, in solar cell electrodes, in which charging and discharging of the conductive polymer pellets contract and expand conductive polymer pellet volume. The spatial structures of CNTs may alleviate the volume contraction and expansion of the carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite caused by the mentioned volume contraction and expansion of the conductive polymer pellet. Moreover, the carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite's high electrical conductivity may reduce the resistance of the carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite. Therefore, the carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite provides favorable electrical conductivity and high specific electric capacity (exceeding 200 Farad/grams). However, in conventional technology, CNTs of the carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite require dispersal in strong oxidized acid, such as sulfuric or nitric acid and surfactant, followed by electrochemical reaction with the conductive polymer pellets, with the result that carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite film is finally obtained on the working electrode. Using the strong acid solution to disperse the CNTs destroys the CNTs. Additionally, since the surfactant is not easily removed from the carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite, performance of the carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite is negatively affected. Moreover, because CNTs are easy to reunite, in the conventional technology, the CNTs cannot form a good electric conductive network. Considerable spacing between adjacent CNTs increases resistance of the carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite and decreases specific electric capacity thereof, adversely affecting electrical conductivity and heat conduction of the CNTs be fully performed.
What is needed, therefore, is a carbon nanotube-conductive polymer composite with low internal resistances and excellent specific electric capacity properties.